Living Green Program

Save money and help the environment! Get free advice from a sustainability expert through the Home Sustainability Support Program.

Learn how to cut down your bills, create a comfortable home, and a wildlife-friendly garden. You can also receive up to $50 worth of free products like LED lights, pedestal fans, soil improvers, and bee houses.

After you sign up, a friendly expert will reach out within a month to set up a visit or a remote session if you cannot meet face-to-face. Check if you’re eligible and join the program today.

Eligibility

• Households must be located within the City of Stirling
• Both homeowners and tenants can apply
• Households that have previously received a Home Sustainability Support Session at the same address are not eligible
• Households with low energy and water use may not be eligible for a support session. We will contact you to discuss your needs and assess each case separately.

Conditions

• If you need to reschedule or cancel your support session you must provide at least 24 hours notice to the sustainability expert. Late notice may make you ineligible to reschedule
• You will need to provide 12 months billing history (electricity, gas, water) to the sustainability expert before the session
• Free sustainability products will be provided during the session and chosen by your sustainability expert based on the household needs.

The city also offers loans of Home Energy Assessment Toolkits from its libraries. To find out more about the toolkits visit Energy and Emissions.

Register here

Autumn and winter is planting season! As part of the City’s annual program, you may soon see trees being planted on streets, verges and reserves in your neighbourhood.

Trees are considered one of our most important assets. They bring us many natural benefits. In fact, national and international research has found trees:

• Cool our homes, streets and neighbourhoods
• Reduce cooling and energy costs
• Help to define a neighbourhood’s character 
• Improve property values (tree lined streets are worth an average of $16,000 more than streets without trees)
• Encourage biodiversity and wildlife
• Shade footpaths for you, your family and pets
• Clean the air and help improve our mental and physical health.

Every year we lose around 200,000 square metres of tree canopy (equal to 3,800 medium sized trees) due to clearing for developments, pest, disease and vandalism, and natural decline of the ageing tree population within the City.

View this year's street tree planting schedule on the planting programs and tree maintenance page.

The City has partnered with Switch Your Thinking to unlock a variety of discounts for residents and buisnesses on energy efficient, waterwise and sustainable products. Think solar panels, batteries, pool blankets, worm farms and more!

To learn  how you can access the rewards and discounts available, visit the Rewards for Residents or Rewards for Business pages on the Switch Your Thinking website.

Another perk for businesses is the Switched on Business Awards which celebrate environmentally conscious businesses who have made great efforts to make their operations more sustainable. Twice a year, businesses in the City of Stirling can apply to the Switched on Business Awards to be celebrated for their efforts to reduce environmental impacts. Winners will receive a framed certificate which is presented by a Councillor from the local government at an official event. If you are the winner, your business will be acknowledged on the Switch Your Thinking website, Facebook and LinkedIn pages and the e-newsletters. For more information, head to the Switched on Business page. 

Keep informed

To keep up to date on sustainability news, read about success stories from local government and learn about exciting opportunities and events coming up, subscribe to the Switch Your Thinking monthly e-newsletters.

You can also opt in for a monthly Energy Smart SMS service where Switch Your Thinking delivers a monthly SMS tip with simple ways you can reduce your electricity use at home.

Energy Toolkit – Home energy toolkits, designed to help you reduce your electricity use and save money on your bills are available to hire from all City of Stirling libraries. Find out more on the energy and emissions page.

Battery collection - Drop off your old battery's at participating primary schools and shopping centre. 

For a full list of drop off centres, visit the Recycling Near You website.

Containers for Change – Return your containers to earn or donate 10 cents per item.  View the complete list of drop off and recycling centres here.

Be Waterwise - for top tips and resources to reduce your water use, visit our water management page.

Reduce energy use - top tips and resources to reduce your energy use, visit our energy and emissions page.

A mulch voucher, support video and guidance brochure will be awarded to City of Stirling householders who apply for the Verge Mulch Starter Pack on February 3, 2025, are successful and commit to using the mulch on their verge.

This reduces water use by limiting grass and paved surfaces on verges. Participants must be committed to following the City’s verge policy and completing a short outcomes survey. Sign up to the City’s Living Green newsletter to be the first to know when the Verge Mulch Starter Pack intake becomes live as places are limited.

Frequently asked questions

How is the City supporting residents to create a native and waterwise verge?

A mulch voucher, educational video and brochure will be available for City of Stirling residents through the Verge Mulch Starter Pack, with registrations for the program opening on 10 February 2025. This program aims to reduce water use by limiting grass and paved surfaces on verges. Places in the program are limited and successful applicants must commit to using the mulch on the verge, following the City’s verge policy and completing a short outcomes survey.

How can I get involved?

Registrations for the program will be open on 10 February 2025. Mark the date in your diary and visit the Living Green page to register via the online application form.

How is the program changing this year?

• Support is no longer in the form of monetary rebates post-makeover. Instead, participants will receive a mulch voucher, a written guide, and a video guide upfront
• Approximately 200 places are available, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis
• Free plants are no longer included. However, participants will receive information about how to apply for up to 10 free native plants through the Free Tree and Plant Program, which opens on 12 March 2025
• Most of the previous year's conditions and requirements have been removed to broaden eligibility. There are no longer any verge categories or support tiers; all participants receive the same support.

Who can apply?

• City of Stirling residential property owners, or tenants (with approval from owner)
• Strata properties are eligible (as one verge) with pre-agreement from body corporate. Note: Strata verges may also choose to apply for a grant if they do not apply for this starter pack
• Multiple verge spaces of one property are considered one verge entity under this program.

What are the conditions?

• Residents cannot register for more than one City of Stirling address
• Participants agree to use the mulch only on the verge of the City of Stirling residential address registered in this form
• Participants with large verges can apply again in following years to receive additional support
• Participants agree to complete an online survey about the program in June 2025
• Quick grant recipients/linked addresses where verge support already received will be ineligible to apply.

How will I know if I am successful?

Successful residents will receive a confirmation email within two weeks of applying. They will receive a mulch voucher, a mulch makeover guide, and link for educational video. Meanwhile, The Sustainable Verge Makeover Guide is available on the City’s website offering FAQs, tips, planning assistance, and links to resources.

What support is provided?

• Each successful participant receives a $150 mulch voucher
• A link to a 'how to' guide, which answers common questions and includes additional resources
• A video link will also be provided.

What if I have further questions?

• First, check the Sustainable Verge Makeover Guide
• For verge/property-specific questions, refer to the streets, verges, crossovers, and traffic webpage for permits, applications, and guidelines
• Contact the City to speak with a sustainability officer at www.stirling.wa.gov.au/enquiries or call (08) 9205 8555.